Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-02-19

out again with her book, but she had
gone but few steps when she was
joined by Madeline, with hat and
parasol, and together they walked
into the bosky grove. They returned
in very good time for supper, and as
we went in to that meal, Madeline
whispered to me:
"There was nobody there"
"And did she say nothing to you
of the young man with whom she
was talking yesterday" / asked,
when we were alone some hours
later.
"Not a word" she said, "though 1
gave her every opportunity. Won
derif you could have been mistaken"
81 am sure / was not" 1 replied.
~ saw the man as plainly as l see
YOU"
"Then Belle is treating us very
badly" she said. eff she desires the
company of young men let her say so,
and we will invitet them tothe house,
l did not altogether agree with this
latter remark. / did not care to have
Belle know young men. / wanted
her to marry Will Crenshaw, and be
done with it,, But we both agreed
not to speak to the young lady on
the subject. 1t was not for us to pry
into her secrets, and if anything was
to be said she should say it.
Every afternoon Belle went away,
as before, with her book, but we did
not accompany her, nor allude to heI
newly acquired love for solitary
walks and studies. One afternoon
we had callers, and she did not 60
That night, after l had gone to sleep,
Madeline awoke me with a little
shake.
"Listen, "she whispered. "Whom
is Belle talking to?"
The night was warm, and all oul
doors windows were open, Bellies
chamber was not far from ours, and
we could distinctly hear her speaking
in low tone. She was evidently
holding a conversation with some
one whose voice we could not hear.
"I'll go in" said Madeline, rising
-"and see about this"
mo, no." l whispered. "She i:
talking to some one outside. Let me
go down and speak to him."
i slipped on some clothes and stole
quietly down the stairs. l unfasten
ed the back door and went round IL
the side on which Bellies window
opened. No sooner had l reached
the corner than / saw, directly under
the window, and looking upward, hi;
hat cooked a good deal on one side
and his riding whip in his hand, the
jaunty young fellow with whom ]
had seen Belle talking.
"Hellow / cried, and rushed to
ward him. AT the sound of my voice
he turned to me, and | saw his face
distinctly. He was young and hand
some. There was a sort of hal
laugh on his countenance, as if hi
had just been saying something very
witty. But he did not wait to finish
his remark or to speak to me. There
was large evergreen near him, and
stepping quickly behind it, he wa
lost to my view. / ran around thu
1 bush, but could see nothing of him
There was a good deal of shrubber,
hereabouts, and he was easily able t.
get away unobserved. l continued
the serch for about ten minutes, anC
then, quite sure that the fellow hat
I got away, I returned to the house
5 Madeline had lighted a lamp, ant
was calling downstairs to ask if
had found the man; some of the ser
$ wants were up, and anxious to know
what had happened; Pegram wa
a crying; but in Bellies room all wa
quiet. Madeline looked in at tn
= open door, and saw her lying quietl.
J, in her bed. No word was spoken
and my wife returned to our room
4 where we discussed the affair for
long time.
In the morning l determined t
0 give Belle chance to speak, and a
!, the breakfast-table / said to her:
r 81 suppose you heard the distul
S ance last night ?'
= eyes," she said quietly. "Didyo
}. catch the man?" Pr ...' "i
I "No," l answered, with consider
o able irritation, shut wish 1 had"
"What would you have done if 70
had caught him ?" She asked, a
with unusual slowness and delibera
:, ton she poured some cream upon he